Drowse alarm mechanism



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 22, 1960 INVENTOR. fiwfi 6' Poi/17.9022,

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DROWSE ALARM MECHANISM Filed Dec. 22, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 [N VEN TOR.

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April 7, 1964 R. c. ROBINSON 3,127,733

BROWSE ALARM MECHANISM Filed Dec. 22, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Q I .iy

INV EN TOR.

United States Patent 3,127,733 BROWSE ALARM MECHANISM Ralph C. Robinson, Athens, Ga., assignor to General Time Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 22, 1960, Ser. No. 77,656 6 Claims. (Cl. 58--21.12)

This invention relates to alarm clocks and concerns, more particularly, an alarm clock having an improved drowse mechanism permitting quick disabling of the alarm for short timed periods.

An alarm clock is conventionally provided with an alarm trip mechanism driven in unison with the hour hand and arranged to release an alarm vibrator or other noise producing operator at a preselected time. A manual control for abling or disabling the trip mechanism is usually provided.

It has also been proposed to provide alarm clocks with a temporary alarm cutoff allowing the user to interrupt or delay operation of the alarm for a short period, such as five or ten minutes, before the sounding of the alarm is resumed. This mode of operation has been referred to as a drowse feature.

The primary aim of the present invention is to provide an improved alarm clock mechanism that includes the drowse feature referred to above, but which utilizes fewer parts and critical part relationships than prior mechanisms of this type. A related object of the invention, therefore, is to provide an improved drowse-type alarm clock mechanism that is particularly compact as well as being economical to manufacture.

It is a further object to provide an alarm mechanism of the above type that affords two alternately selectable drowse delay periods while remaining a compact economical construction.

Another object is to provide an alarm mechanism as characterized above whose drowse periods are accurately predetermined and reliably repetitive each time the drowse mechanism is brought intooperation.

It is alos an object to provide a mechanism having a drowse period selection device which is readily adaptable to a wide variety of operator types so as to permit flexibility in the design of the clock case shape and style.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following description and upon reference to the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of an alarm clock having a mechanism embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective showing the mechanism of the clock appearing in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a slightly elongated perspective of the timing train of the mechanism shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective of a portion of the mechanism shown in FIG. 2;

FIGS. 5, 6, and 7 are stop-motion views, somewhat re duced in scale, showing alternate posit-ions of the mechanism illustrated in FIG. 4; and

FIGS. 8, 9, and 10 are stop-motion views of a portion of the mechanism shown in FIG. 2. While the invention will be described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that I do not intend to limit the invention to that embodiment. On the contrary, I intend to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Turing first to FIG. 1, there is shown an alarm clock 10 constructed in accordance with the present invention and including a housing 11 have a conventionally arranged dial face 12. Hour, minute, and second hands 13, 14, and 15, respectively, rotate over the dial face 12 in the usual manner. An alarm setting hand 16 is also included in the cluster of hands.

The mechanism for the clock 10 is mounted within the housing 11 on front and rear frame plates 21 and 22, respectively, which are rigidly connected by a plurality of posts, of which only the post 23 is shown (see FIG. 2). The frame plates 21, 22 may be mounted within the housing 11 in any convenient manner as will be understood by those familiar with this art. The clock 10 is driven by, and derive-s its accuracy from, a synchronous timing motor 24 mounted on the rear frame plate 22.

To briefly review the timing train of the clock 10, the motor 24 drives an output pinion 25 which engages a gear 26 secured to a shaft 27 that is journalled through the frame plates 21, 22 (see FIG. 3). The shaft 27 rotates at 1 rpm. and carries, at its outer end, the second hand 15.

The minute hand 14 is secured to a sleeve 28, mounted on the shaft 27, which is driven through a gear wheel 29 and a pinion 30 coupled together on a setting shaft 31 that is rotatably and sliclably mounted in the frame plates 21, 22. A pinion 32 secured to the shaft 27 drives the gear wheel 29, which causes the pinion 30 to rotate a gear wheel 33 secured to the sleeve 28 at a speed of one revolution per hour.

The hour hand 13 is secured to a sleeve 34 journalled on the sleeve 28 and is driven through a gear wheel 35 and attached pinion 36 which are journalled for rotation together on a shaft 37 secured in the frame plates 21, 22. A pinion 38 secured to the gear wheel 33 drives the gear wheel 35 so as to cause the pinion 36 to rotate a gear 39 secured to the sleeve 34. The gear ratios are chosen so that the sleeve 34, and thus the hour hand 13, rotates at the usual rate of one revolution per twelve hours.

To provide an audible alarm for the clock 10, a flexible vibrator member 40 is secured at 41 to the rear frame plate 22 so that the free end of the member is adjacent the driving coils of the timing motor 24. When free to vibrate, the member 4%) emits a clearly audible buzz which serves as the alarm signal for the clock Ill.

In carrying out the invention, the alarm member 40 is controlled by a single shiftable alarm control element 45. The element 45 is formed with a notch 46 which is interlocked with a notch 47 formed in the rear frame plate 22 to pivot the element 45 on the rear frame plate. A spring 43, anchored on the rear frame plate 22 engages the element 45 so as to hold the notches 46, 47 in interlocked relation and bias the element 45 about its pivot point in a clockwise direction as seen in FIGS. 8-10. When the element 45 is swung against the bias of the spring 48, a finger 49 formed on the element engages the alarm member 40 so as to arrest vibration of the member 40 and thus silence or disable the clock alarm. To able the alarm, the element 45 is swung so that the finger 49 clears the vibration member 40. Pursuant to the invention, a drowse cam 50, arranged to operate the control element 45, is adapted to be drivingly coupled to the gear wheel 33 in the clock timing train so that the alarm member 40 is disabled for the period required for the gear wheel 33 to return the drowse cam 50 to its normal rest position. In the preferred embodiment, the drowse cam 50 is secured to a shaft 51 pivoted between the frame plates 21, 22, and a torsion spring 52 is disposed about the shaft 51 and arranged to bias the drowse cam in a counterclockwise direction, as seen in the drawings, toward a rest position. In the illustrated arrangement, the drowse cam is formed with a slot 53 which receives the post 23 and the rest position for the drowse cam is established by abutment of the lower edge of the slot with the post.

The drowse cam 50 and the control element 45 are provided with interengaging portions 54 and 55, respectively, so that swinging movement of the drowse cam in a clockwise direction from its rest position cams the element 45 to the left in FIGS. -7 and thus rotates the control element so that the finger 49 is brought into abutment with the alarm member 40. In this way, swinging movement of the drowse cam 50 from its FIG. 5 rest position disables the alarm by moving the control element finger 49 into contact with the alarm vibrator 40. With the drowse cam 50 in its FIG. 5 rest position, the interengaging portions 54, 55 are spaced so that the spring 48 maintains the control element 45 clear of the alarm member 40 and thus ables the alarm.

To drivingly couple the drowse cam 50 to the gear wheel 33, the drowse cam carries a pawl 60 pivoted at 61 and urged by a spring 62 toward the gear wheel 33. Then the drowse cam 50 is swung from its FIG. 5 rest position, the pawl 60 ratchets over the teeth of the gear Wheel 33 in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the gear wheel. The pawl 60 thus couples or locks the drowse cam 50 to the gear wheel 33 against the force of the biasing spring 52 and the drowse cam is slowly returned to its rest position by the steady rotation of the gear wheel. It will be apparent that the length of time required to return the drowse cam 50 to its rest position is determined by how far the drowse cam pawl 60 is ratcheted about the periphery of the gear wheel33.

Because of the positive locking engagement between the pawl and the teeth of the gear wheel, there is no chance for relative slippage between the drowse cam and the gear wheel and thus swinging the drowse cam a predetermined distance from its rest position always results in a predetermined timed interval being required for return of the drowse cam to its rest position. During this predetermined interval, of course, the interengaging portions 54, 55 on the drowse cam and the alarm control element 45 hold the alarm member 40 in disabled condition. Since the axis for the gear wheel 33 and the pivot point 51 for the drowse cam 50 are spaced, the pawl 60 is completely disengaged from the periphery of the gear wheel when the drowse cam50 is in its FIG. 5 rest position and, thus, there is no annoying clicking or ratcheting noisecaused by the teeth of the gear wheel rotating past the pawl 60.

For establishing alternatively selectable drowse periods, a shiftably mounted operator 65 is arranged to swing the drowse cam 50 varying distances from its rest po sition upon manipulation by the clock user. In the illustrated construction, the operator 65 is carried on a shaft 66 that is pivoted between the front and rear frame plates 21, 22. The operator 65 carries a pin 67 which is disposed between cam surfaces 68 and 69 formed on the drowse cam 50 and arranged to flank the operator pin 67. When the drowse cam 50 is in its FIG. 5 rest position under the urging of the spring 52, the pin 67 is wedged into the juncture of the cam surfaces 68, 69 so as to establish a normal position for the operator 65. When the operator 65 is rocked counterclockwise, as seen in FIG. 6, the pin 67 rides along the cam surface 68 and swings the drowse cam 50, in a clockwise direction so as to ratchet the pawl 60 over the teeth of the gear wheel '33 and lock the drowse cam for timed return movement to its rest position upon rotation of the gear wheel. By rocking the operator 65 in a clockwise direction, as seen in FIG. 7, the pin 67 presses against the cam surface 69 so as to swing the drowse cam 50 in a clockwise direction and initiate the timed interval required for the gear wheel 33 to return the drowse cam to its rest position. 7 V

The cam surfaces 68, 69 are appropriately shaped so that when the pin 67 acts on the cam surface 69, the drowse cam 50 is swung approximately twice as far in a clockwise direction as is the case when the pin 67 acts againstthe cam surface 68. In the preferred embodiment, when the pin 67 acts against the cam surface 68, the drowse cam 50 is swung a sufficient distance about the periphery of the gear wheel 33 to require an interval of approximately five minutes to restore the drowse cam to its FIG. 5 rest position. When the pin 67 acts against the cam surface 69, the drowse cam 50 is swung sufficiently far about the periphery of the gear wheel 33 to require an interval of approximately ten minutes for the gear wheel to return the drowse cam to its rest position. It can thus be seen that counterclockwise rocking of the operator 65, as seen in FIGS. 5-7, produces a drowse interval of five minutes while clockwise rocking of the operator produces a drowse interval of ten minutes.

To conveniently actuate the operator 65, a pair of levers 71 and 72 are pivoted at 73 and 74, respectively, on the housing 11 of the clock with each one of the levers being positioned over one of a pair of upstanding end projections 75 and 76 formed on the operator 65 (see FIG. 1). The levers 71, 72 project upwardly from the clock housing so as to be easily accessible to the user of the clock. Downward pressure on the lever 71 acts against the upstanding end 75 of the operator 65 to rock the operator clockwise in FIG. 1 (counterclockwise in the remaining figures) to establish the drowse interval of five minutes. Depression of the lever 72 rocks the operator 65 in the opposite direction and establishes the ten minute drowse interval. 7

Since it is simply necessary to rock the operator 65 in one direction or the other to establish either one of the two available drowse periods, it can be easily seen that a variety of actuating arrangements could be provided for the operator 65 without departing from the invention. For example, since the operator 65 is rigidly fixed to the shaft 66, such actuation arrangements could include a knob or lever for rotating the shaft 66 one way or the other. This flexibility in arranging for the actuation of the operator 65 permits the mechanism for the clock 10 to be used in clock housings having a wide variety of styles and designs.

To manually able or disable the alarm member 40, an axially shiftable shutoff lever 80 is slidably mounted in the rear frame plate 22 and arranged to shift the alarm control element 45 into and out of contact with the alarm member 40. In the illustrated construction, the lever 80 is a flat member disposed at right angles with respect to the element 45 and is provided with a slot 81 within which the element 45 is loosely fitted (see FIG. 2). This interfitting arrangement holds the element 45 and the lever 80 in their proper relative positions. To operate the control elements 45, the lever 80 is provided with a cam portion 82 at one end of the slot 81 which is disposed to engage a cam surface 83 formed on the control element. With the lever 80 pulled outwardly from the rear of the clock 10, the cam portion 82 completely clears the cam surface 83, and the control element 45 is free to rock within the slot 81 (see FIGS. 8 and 10). By pushing the lever 80 inwardly against the front frame plate 21, the cam portion 82 strikes the cam surface 83 and rocks the control element 45 is a counterclockwise direction as seen in FIGS. 8 and-9 so as to swing the control element finger 49 against the alarm member 40, thereby disabling the alarm. Preferably, the spring 48 includes an arm 85 which is urged against the upper surface of the lever 80 to detent into either one of a pair of notches 86 and 87 and thereby 'releasablyhold the lever 80 in either one of its two alternate positions.

For-sounding the alarm at a preselected time, an alarm trip gear 90 and an alarm cam 91 are arranged for releasing the alarm control element 45 at a selectable time. The gear 90 is mounted for axially shifting movement along a shaft 92 secured between the front and rear frame plates 21, 22. When shifted to the left-as seen in FIG. 10, the gear 90 engages a finger 93 forming a portion of the control element 45 so as to rotate the control element in a a counterclockwise direction, thereby causing the finger 49 to engage the alarm member 40 and disable the alarm. When shifted to the right, as seen in FIG. 8. The control element 45 is free to move under the urging of its biasing spring 48 in a clockwise direction so as to clear the alarm vibrator 40, thereby abling or conditioning the alarm for operation.

In keeping with alarm trip mechanisms of this type, the shiftable gear 90 remains in meshing engagement with the pinion 36 (see FIG. 3), so as to rotate constantly with the timing train of the clock. The cam 91 is mounted on a gear 94 that is journalled on the shaft 92. The cam 91 can be angularly positioned by rotating the setting shaft 31 so as to drive the gear 94 through a pair of gear wheels 95 and 96 and a pinion 97. The gear wheel 96 is mounted on a sleeve 98 which also carries the alarm pointer 16 so that the user of the clock has a visual indication of the setting of the gear 94 and thus the angular disposition of the cam 91.

Cooperating with the alarm cam 91 is a slot 100 formed in the trip gear 90. As the alarm gear 90 rotates, the slot 100 is brought into alinement with the cam 91 so as to free the gear 94 for shifting movement toward the right in FIGS. 3 and 8-10. This allows the control element 45, under the force of the spring 48, to move the gear 90 and swing clear of the alarm member 40. The time at which the alarm gear 90 is freed for axial shifting movement is, of course, determined by the angular setting of the alarm cam 91 and thus the user of the clock 10 can control the hour at which he desires the alarm to sound.

To allow the setting shaft 31 to set either the hands 13, 14 or the alarm cam 91, the shaft 31 is mounted for axial shifting movement in the frame plates 21, 22 and is provided with a pair of lugs 101 adapted to be slid into rotatable locking engagement with slots 102 formed in a sleeve 103 that carries the gear 95 which is coupled to the alarm cam carrying gear 94. Shifting movement of the setting shaft 31 in the opposite direction moves the lugs 101 into engagement with a set of slots 104 formed in a sleeve 105 which carries the pinion 30 that drives the timing train to the hands 13, 14. As is conventional, a friction driving device 106 is interposed between the sleeve 105 and the wheel 29 so as to permit the driving train to be rotated independently of the gear drive back to the timing motor 24.

It can now be seen that a particularly compact and economical mechanism has been provided which utilizes a single alarm control element 45 for drowse operation through the drowse cam 50, manual on-oif operation through the lever 80, or alarm trip mechanism through alarm gear 90. Through the arrangement of the parts described above, each of these controls for the element 45 operates without interference from the others.

It will also be observed that a single drowse cam 50 provides two alternately selectable drowse periods and that, since this cam is driven through its timed drowse periods by a large diameter gear wheel in the timing train, the drowse periods can be accurately determined and will remain reliably repetitive each time the drowse cam is actuated.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the clock mechanism for the clock 10 is well suited for mass production manufacture.

It will, of course, be understood that the alarm control element 45 is not restricted to the control of a vibrator type of alarm such as the member 40 shown for illustrative purposes. Without departing from the invention, the control element 45 can be employed to control the movement of a bell clapper, a visual alarm flag, or electrical contacts which energize a light or radio. Therefore, in the following claims, the terms alarm signal or alarm are intended to refer to any sort of sense-responding phenomena and the term alarm member is intended to refer to any sort of structure capable of causing such an alarm signal or alarm.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a clock mechanism having a driven timing train including a gear wheel mounted in a frame, the combina- 6 tion comprising, an alarm member mounted on said frame for producing an alarm signal, a plate-like drowse cam pivoted on said frame and carrying a pawl positioned for ratcheting engagement with the teeth of said gear wheel upon swinging movement of said cam in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said wheel, said cam being effective to disable said member and turn said alarm off as the cam moves in said direction to engage said pawl with said wheel, an operator pivoted on said frame for manual swinging movement ineither direction from a central rest position, and a pin carried by said operator, said drowse cam having opposed cam surfaces flanking said pin, said surfaces being formed so that the cam is swung varying distances to engage said wheel upon swinging movement of said operator in one direction or the other.

2. In a clock mechanism having a driven timing train including a gear wheel mounted in a frame, the combination comprising, an alarm member mounted on said frame for producing an alarm signal, an alarm control element shiftably mounted on said frame for movement into and out of contact with said member so as to able and disable the member and thus turn said signal on and off, a platelike drowse cam pivoted on said frame and carrying a pawl positioned for ratcheting engagement with the teeth of said gear wheel upon swinging movement of said cam in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said wheel, means biasing said cam to a rest position with said pawl out of contact with said wheel, said cam and said element having interengaging portions which shift the element to turn said alarm off as the cam moves in said direction to engage said pawl with said wheel, an operator shiftably mounted on said frame for being manually shifted to either of two operated positions from a rest position, said cam and said operator being coupled so that the cam is swung varying distances in said direction upon movement of said operator into one or the other of its said operated positions.

3. In a clock mechanism having a driven timing train including a gear wheel mounted in a frame, the combination comprising, an alarm member mounted on said frame for producing an alarm signal, an alarm control element shiftably mounted on said frame for movement into and out of contact with said member so as to able and disable the member and thus turn said signal on and off, a platelike drowse cam pivoted on said frame and carrying a pawl positioned for ratcheting engagement with the teeth of said gear wheel upon swinging movement of said cam in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said Wheel, means biasing said cam to a rest position with said pawl out of contact with said wheel, said cam and said element having interengaging portions which shift the element to turn said alarm off as the cam moves in said direction to engage said pawl with said wheel, an operator pivoted on said frame for manual swinging movement in either direction from a central rest position, a pin carried by said operator, said drowse cam having opposed cam surfaces flanking said pin, said surfaces being formed so that the cam is swung varying distances to engage said wheel upon swinging movement of said operator in one direction or the other.

4. In a clock mechanism having a driven timing train including a gear wheel mounted in a frame, the combination comprising, an alarm member mounted on said frame for producing an alarm signal, an alarm control element shiftably mounted on said frame for movement into and out of contact with said member so as to able and disable the member and thus turn said signal on and off, a drowse cam pivoted on said frame and carrying a pawl positioned for ratcheting engagement with the teeth of said gear Wheel upon swinging movement of said cam in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said wheel, means biasing said cam to a rest position with said pawl out of contact with said wheel, said cam and said element having interengaging portions which shift the element to turn said alarm off as the cam moves in said direction to engage said pawl with saidwheel, an operator shiftably mounted onsaid frame for being manually shifted to either of two operated positions from a rest position, said cam and, said operator being coupled sothat the cam is swung varying distances in said directionupon movement of said operator into one or the other of its said operated positions, andan axially shiftable alarm gear driven by said timing train, a settable cam. permitting said alarm gear to shift from a. normal position to a tripped position at a selected time, said alarm gear shifting said control element. to turn said alarmofr' whensaid gear is in normal position and freeing said element when said gear is in tripped position.

5. Ina clock mechanism having a driven timing train including a gear wheel mounted in a frame, the combination comprising, analarm member mounted on said frame for producing an alarm signal, analarm control element shiftably mounted on said frame for movement into and out of contact with said. member so as to able and disable the member and thus turn said signal on and off, a. drowse cam pivoted. on said frame and carrying a pawl positioned. for ratcheting engagement with the teeth of said gear Wheel. uponswinging movement of said cam in a. direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said wheel, said cam and. said element, having interengaging portions which shift the element to turn said alarm off as the cam movesinsaid direction to engage saidpawl with said wheel, an operator shiftably mounted on said frame, said cam and said operator being coupled so that the cam is swung in said direction upon movement of. said operator, a manual shutoff lever shiftably mounted in said frame for movement between two positions, said lever shifting said control element to turn said alarm off when moved to one of said lever positionsand freeing said element when in the other of said lever positions, an axially shiftable alarm gear driven by said timing train, and a settable cam permitting said alarm gear to shift-from a normal position to a tripped position at a selected time, said alarm gear shifting said control element to turn said alarm 01f when said gear isin normal position and freeing said elementwhen said gear is in tripped position.

6. In a clock mechanism having a driven timing train including a gear Wheel of substantial diameter mounted in a frame, the combination comprising, an alarm member mounted on said frame for producing an alarm signal, an alarm control element shiftably mounted on said frame for movement into-and out of contact with said member so as to able and disable the member and thus turn said signal on and off, a drowse cam pivoted intermediate its ends on said frame for swinging movement about an axis fixed with respect to said frame at one edge of said gear Wheel, a pawl carried near one end of said cam and the portion of the cam between. the pawl and said axis substantially embracing said gear Wheel so as to dispose the pawl at the opposite side of said wheel from said axis, said pawl being positioned for ratcheting engagement with the teeth of said gear Wheel uponswinging movement of said cam from a rest position in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said wheel, means biasing said cam toward said rest position, said cam and said element having interengaging portions which shift the element to turn said alarm off as the cam moves in said direction to engage said pawl with said Wheel, and an operator shiftably mounted on said frame, said cam and said operator being coupled so that the cam is swung in said direction upon movement of said operator.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,541,817 Gordon Feb. 13, 1951 2,721,441 Boyles Oct. 25, 1955 2,768,332 Protzmann et al. Oct. 23, 1956 2,920,438 Phaneuf Jan. 12, 1960 2,994,183 Dimond et al. Aug. 1, 1961 2,996,874 Chartier et al Aug. 22, 1961 3,039,260 Morrison et al. June 19, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 588,559 Germany Nov. 22, 1933 

1. IN A CLOCK MECHANISM HAVING A DRIVEN TIMING TRAIN INCLUDING A GEAR WHEEL MOUNTED IN A FRAME, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING, AN ALARM MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME FOR PRODUCING AN ALARM SIGNAL, A PLATE-LIKE DROWSE CAM PIVOTED ON SAID FRAME AND CARRYING A PAWL POSITIONED FOR RATCHETING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE TEETH OF SAID GEAR WHEEL UPON SWINGING MOVEMENT OF SAID CAM IN A DIRECTION OPOPSITE TO THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION OF SAID WHEEL, SAID CAM BEING EFFECTIVE TO DISABLE SAID MEMBER AND TURN SAID ALARM OFF AS THE CAM MOVES IN SAID DIRECTION TO ENGAGE SAID PAWL WITH SAID WHEEL, AND OPERATIOR PIVOTED ON SAID FRAME FOR 